Alcohol policy for companies: Good advice and benefits

Alcohol policy for companies

Indicative studies show that several employees in companies know a person who experiences problems with their work due to an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Colleagues often try to help the person concerned or cover up the person's mistakes, but without success. Eventually, the employees' tolerance can be replaced by irritation, spreading a bad atmosphere in the workplace.

On the other hand, there are also studies which make it clear that if the workplace has a healthy alcohol policy and supports employees who suffer from abuse, there are great chances of good results:

• 63% of employees with alcohol problems complete alcohol treatment if the company refers them for treatment. This number is high compared to the 19% who complete alcohol treatment when the emergency room or hospital has referred them for alcohol treatment

In this article, we will therefore review a number of topics that can make you more aware of what an alcohol policy entails and what advantages it can have for the employee and the workplace.

Before we describe what characterises an alcohol policy, let's look at whether it is actually permitted to drink during working hours.

Is drinking allowed during working hours?

Less than 150 years ago, it was not uncommon for workers to drink brandy and beer during working hours, for example Carlsberg had an alcohol culture where employees had to drink four litres of beer during working hours.

However, it has become more common over the last 10-20 years for employees and management not to drink alcohol in the workplace. This is due, among other things, to requirements for an increased efficiency that is not compatible with a large alcohol consumption. It is precisely for this reason that many companies have chosen to introduce an alcohol policy in the workplace. A study by the Danish Health Authority shows, among other things, to:

• In 60% of workplaces, alcohol is prohibited during working hours. There are exceptions to this, e.g. in connection with events
• 23% of Danish companies have a total ban on alcohol
• Alcohol is permitted in 1% of the country's workplaces. It is worth mentioning that there is typically a limit on the number of units

What is an alcohol policy?

An alcohol policy is a policy in the company that helps to define clear guidelines for alcohol in the workplace and what is expected of the employees in this regard. A good alcohol and drug policy should, among other things, decide how your company supports employees with an alcohol or other drug problem. In addition, the alcohol policy must also clarify which consequences or sanctions apply if an employee does not comply with the guidelines. 

 

A solid alcohol policy is also characterised by the fact that the company has a network of key people who are responsible for offering help and support to colleagues suffering from alcohol abuse. These key employees can be chosen based on their position and responsibility in the workplace, for example a manager or employee who has a position of trust, as a staff representative or safety representative, but it can also be a well liked colleague.

What are the benefits of introducing an alcohol policy at your workplace?

There can be several reasons why it is a good idea to introduce an alcohol policy in the workplace:

• Quality: An effective alcohol policy can mean that the staff and management deliver work of greater quality. In addition, companies are faced with increasing demands regarding efficiency, working environment, safety, wellbeing, quality and earnings, which is why it is crucial to have a well functioning workplace
• Brand value: A large consumption of alcohol can also burden the company, for example, in the form of increased absenteeism, poor quality or accidents at work, which can damage the workplace's image. In addition, it is often soft values ​​that attract qualified labour, which is why it may lead to the workplace being able to find more talent
• Damage control: A sensible alcohol policy can ensure that employees who have an alcohol addiction are taken care of. In this way, the company can intervene and contribute to ensuring that the problems are not allowed to develop

It is also worth pointing out that an important reason for introducing an alcohol policy in the workplace is that everyone feels a shared responsibility for ensuring that an alcohol problem is not allowed to develop in secret. If there is early intervention in the face of potential alcohol abuse, it also reduces the human and financial costs for both the employee, the family, colleagues and the workplace as a whole.

Indicative studies also emphasise that alcohol and work generally do not go together. If you would like to draw up an alcohol policy for your company, however, it is crucial that everyone in the workplace gets an opportunity to express their views, including exceptions that can be written into the alcohol policy. Here, for example, it can be agreed that alcohol is permitted in connection with anniversaries or company parties.

An alcohol policy is therefore about creating a good work culture and a good working environment, which you can see more about here: